Woman admits to drink-driving

A Wooler woman has pleaded guilty to drink-driving while almost five times over the legal limit.

Nicola Pringle, 40, of Tallet, admitted a charge of driving with excess alcohol when she appeared at Berwick Magistrates’ Court last Thursday.

The incident happened at the village’s Riverside Holiday Park, where the defendant was staying, around 4pm on Sunday, November 12.

Iain Jordan, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Keown, a maintenance officer at the park, saw the defendant driving a Vauxhall Meriva a short distance and then getting out and walking towards the launderette. Mr Jordan added: “He thought she looked drunk and passed this information to the manager and the police were called.

“The defendant gave a positive roadside breath test and was taken to a police station where she gave a breath test reading of 169mg alc in 100ml breath.”

The legal limit is 35mg in 100ml breath.

Mr Jordan said that the defendant had admitted the offence during interview. He added: “She had driven approximately 150 yards and informed the officer she had injured her toe and was under the belief she was on a private road so there appears to be some naivety in commission of the offence.”

The court was told that the defendant had consumed a 35cl bottle of vodka. She had also been drinking the day before so may have been topping up the level of alcohol in her system, the court heard.

But he did not expand on them in the knowledge that magistrates would be minded to call for pre-sentence reports.

Magistrates adjourned the case until today and called for reports from Northumbria Probation Service. They requested an all-options report, including sentencing in the custodial band. The defendant was also handed an interim driving disqualification.